Horns lose control of destiny in Big 12

Updated 11:30 pm, Saturday, November 16, 2013

UT receiver Jordan Shipley can't hang onto the ball as he is sandwiched by Oklahoma State defenders in Austin.

UT receiver Jordan Shipley can't hang onto the ball as he is sandwiched by Oklahoma State defenders in Austin.

Photo: Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

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OSU defender Justin Gilbert comes down with an interception as intended receiver Kendall Sanders is out of position as Texas plays Oklahoma State at Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin on November 16, 2013.

OSU defender Justin Gilbert comes down with an interception as intended receiver Kendall Sanders is out of position as Texas plays Oklahoma State at Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin on November 16, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

Horns lose control of destiny in Big 12

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AUSTIN — Adrian Phillips stared at his hands. For a moment, more than 90,000 people looked, too. But the football that should have been between those hands wasn't there.

Somehow, the ball had traveled through them and ended up in the grasp of Oklahoma State wide receiver Tracy Moore, resulting in the touchdown that became the turning point in the 12th-ranked Cowboys' 38-13 victory at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Phillips, Texas' senior safety, couldn't hide his bewilderment.

“Stuff like that doesn't happen,” he said.

Actually, Phillips had his tense wrong. Before Saturday, stuff like that
didn't happen. During six consecutive victories to open the conference season, the No. 24 Longhorns caught every break, benefited from every bounce and survived every close call.

But in suffering their most lopsided home loss in 16 years under Mack Brown, their penchant for living dangerously caught up to them. Phillips jumped a route and whiffed on an interception. Case McCoy kept making risky throws and finally had them picked off. And Brown — who'd spent two months dodging disaster and quieting speculation about his future — opened himself up to the same old questions all over again.

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Brown's second home defeat of more than 20 points this season won't help his case. The last time UT suffered two such blowouts in one year was 1976 — Darrell Royal's final season as coach.

UT (7-3, 6-1 Big 12) played terribly on special teams, committed three turnovers on offense and reverted to its September inability to stop the run on defense. Not even the Longhorns' history of comebacks — both this season and historically against OSU — could help them.

“It seemed like every time we got something going, we killed ourselves,” Brown said.

The most fatal stretch came in the final 1:15 of the first half. Leading by four points, OSU (9-1, 6-1) had the ball deep in UT territory when Clint Chelf fired a pass into the corner of the end zone. Phillips stepped in front of Moore and appeared to catch the ball, but it went through his fingers and into Moore's hands.

After UT received the kickoff, McCoy made an ill-advised throw to Kendall Sanders down the right sideline, allowing OSU's Justin Gilbert to make an easy interception and return it 43 yards for a game-breaking TD.

McCoy, who threw two more interceptions in the second half, took the blame for UT's defeat, saying, “It's on me.”

“I was forcing things,” he said. “There's no doubt about it.”

But there was plenty of blame to go around. UT's defense, which had been solid throughout its winning streak, allowed Chelf to run for 95 yards, pass for 197 and account for three touchdowns.

The Longhorns' coverage and return units were abysmal, committing offenses ranging from muffed punts to roughing penalties that led to UT starting six drives inside its own 20 and none beyond its own 33.

Still, Brown insisted after the game he isn't worried about his team falling apart. He told players they're still in position to win the Big 12 if they beat Texas Tech and Baylor to end the season (provided OSU suffers a loss).

“You can't get your head down,” Brown said. “You can't lay down and quit. You've got to go back to work.”